Degenerative Organic Brain Disease

This is quite a vague and non-specific term that, essentially, can cover any nonpsychiatric disease or condition of and in the brain that cannot be cured or reversed and which causes damage to it.

Any such brain 'disease' could be considered a critical illness in terms of what might fit the requirement of a critical illness insurance policy that offers cover for 'degenerative organic brain disease', although I would think it prudent to ascertain the exact definition of what is meant by 'organic' in this case. Would it also apply to brain damage caused by involuntary chemical inhalation at work for example?

Examples of a degenerative and irreversible brain disease could include anything from brain tumours (malignant and benign) to diseases such as Alzheimer's, progressive supranuclear palsy and multisystem atrophy.

If the onset of the illness and its symptoms were quite rapid, the condition might be more unusual - like the multiple small strokes of 'multi-infarct dementia', or an infectious process in the brain like encephalitis or even Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (discussed in a previous article, feel free to use the search function at the end of this article), or a cancer-related degeneration of the brain known as limbic encephalitis.

There are treatments for these kinds of diseases, although they vary hugely in nature and success depending upon the condition or disease in question. Although chemical treatments for many severe brain dysfunctions can cause side effects ranging from confusion, psychosis, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and even liver damage. Of course th nature of these treatments and the illnesses and conditions they are designed to treat are far to many and diverse to list here.

In many cases of neurodegenerative diseases, treatments are often limited to supportive therapy for particular symptoms or complaints. Such diseases are, sadly, usually terminal after several years of onset.

For more information on Brain diseases, their symptoms and treatments peruse the following: